Quincy Archer Hates You
by Bitter Shadow
Summary: Time has passed. Ichigo gets the chance to go back to Karakura to reap a lost soul. Just a simple mission. But will he be able to handle what he has to face? Disclaimer; I don't own Bleach. [Character death and slight UryûxOrihime]


Ichigo Kurosaki. Substitute Soul Reaper. One who protects the humans. One who fights for the Soul Society and for the human realm. But when the time comes, he carries the hesitant souls from the world they know so their own pain does not make them into monsters. As an individual, he tries to protect people. As a soul reaper, he protects them from themselves.

"Ichigo-kun," Ukitake put a weak hand on his shoulder. Ichigo looked up at him. He gave a shaky laugh. "Your eyes are still full of light, Ichigo-kun, after all these years. I'll never get over that. You're still the same child."

Ichigo shed a small smile, his eyebrows creasing in gentle worry. "What do you need?"

"Remember your old town? Karakura?" Ichigo nodded a bit, memories rushing back. When he thought he was just a normal human. Where he first met Rukia.

"What about it?"

"There's a stubborn soul there. I thought it might be nostalgic for you if you wanted to take care of this one. If not, I could just send someone else..."

Ichigo shook his head, standing up. "No, I'd like to go. Thanks." Ukitake patted his back before falling into a coughing fit. Ichigo helped keep him upright before being waved off.

"Don't...worry about me. I'm okay...go ahead, hurry back to your home..."

Home. When was the last time he was home? With his sisters, and his dad? When his mother was still...no, that didn't matter. He took off into a sprint.

Kyoraku chuckled from his hiding place. Ukitake blinked in surprise and walked over to him. "Now how long have you been here, Shunsui?"

"You're a cruel man, Jushiro," when he was given a confused look, he continued. "You didn't tell the poor kid who the soul was he had to reap."

Ukitake smiled sadly, his eyes focused on the horizon. "He's not a kid anymore, Shunsui. And we're not as young as we used to be. We should retire." They both laughed at the ridiculous notion. There would be no rest for them, they knew.

Ichigo skidded to a halt in the sky, breathing in his youth and converting it to willpower. He made a promise to protect everyone. He still wanted to keep that promise. He floated down to the gritty street, looking around. There was Orihime's old apartment. He kept going, telling himself he'd have time to look around when he finished his job.

He arrived at the place he was supposed to be quickly. This was Ishida's hospital. Perhaps a surgery went wrong and now the victim was hanging around after death?

He strolled around the tall sterile building, looking for the lost soul. It had to be around somewhere.

"K-kurosaki..."

Ichigo's face lit up as he recognized the voice. An old friend. "Uryû!" he spun around to face him. Suddenly he froze. There was his old classmate, but his face was paler like he was sick. His arms hung pointlessly at his side, lacking his old vigor.

And dangling from his chest was a metal chain.

"U-Uryû..." his word glued to the sides of his throat. It couldn't be. He wouldn't accept it.

Uryû looked down, laughing halfheartedly. "Idiot. You don't even look like you've aged."

"N-no..." he forced his voice out, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "I...I was going to protect you! All of you! You can't be...I was going to..."

"What?" he snapped, surprising Ichigo. "What, Kurosaki? Were you going to make us live forever? Everyone dies eventually. There's nothing you can do!"

He faltered. They both stared at the ground for an eternity, angry and regretful tears running down their faces against their silent protests. The orange haired soul reaper spoke up, his voice softened, hardly audible.

"...why are you still here?"

Uryû looked to the orange tinged sky for an answer. Without a word he started to walk. Ichigo followed him silently. The wind was the only one who dared to make a sound. Soon they arrived at a graveyard.

Standing at one of the gravestones was an orange haired girl. She was sniffling and the tears poured down her face like a waterfall. In her hand she gripped a white lily.

"I-Ishida-kun...I-I'm sorry I keep coming here, but I m-miss you...Sato told me I should let you rest but...I-I miss you..." she dropped the flower and covered her face with her delicate hands, her shoulders shaking with each new sob.

"Orihime..." Ichigo breathed in disbelief.

Uryû closed his eyes, a pained expression cutting into his features. "I used to have pride in myself for being strong. But now I don't have the strength to leave her. She's always been too kind for her own good. She shouldn't miss me so much."

Ichigo felt like he was going to start crying again. "Uryû...her brother, when he died, he stuck around to watch over her...b-but he turned into a hollow and attacked her...you don't want that."

Uryû gave him a smile so hurt it made him cringe. "I know. So what are you waiting for?"

Ichigo took in a deep breath to try and calm the ravaging emotions in his chest. "I'll see you in the soul society?" Uryû looked at him in surprise.

"You don't know?" Ichigo cocked his head.

"What?"

"I'm a Quincy. We're not welcome in the Soul Society. We're...sent to a different place after we die. A realm called Nothing."

Ichigo stepped back. "W-what?"

Uryû swallowed hard. "Our souls are 'tainted,' so they're not put back into circulation. When we die, we are dead forever."

Ichigo stumbled back more, not believing what he was hearing. "Then I can't..."

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" he barked with an air of importance, standing up straight. He stared at nothing in particular as he shouted like he belonged to the military. "Yoh don't have a choice! It is your duty as a shinigami to send souls to their resting place so they do not become hollows! Unless you'd rather destroy me when I've turned into a mindless monster, the very type my kind fought against, you must do it now!"

He bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut and spoke his rehearsed comforting. They were the only things he could manage to say. "Uryû Ishida, you don't have to be afraid. You must be in pain, and I'm sorry you had to suffer like that. But...I can help!" he started yelling, tears streaking his face. He looked his distressed friend in the eyes. "I'm going to send you to a better place! You do not have to hurt any longer!"

"Is that all you have to say? How impersonal. After all we've been through." he laughed softly. "Idiot."

Ichigo Kurosaki. Substitute Soul Reaper. One who protects the humans. One who fights for the Soul Society and for the human realm. But when the time comes, he carries the hesitant souls from the world they know so their own pain does not make them into monsters. As an individual, he tries to protect people. As a soul reaper, he protects them from themselves.


End file.
